the power of symbolism

Today is Bastille Day, a national day of celebration for the French. A pivotal day in the history of the country and a beginning of the road to the downfall of the monarchy and the long, lurching road to democracy. And yet in reality not much really happened. Bastille Day is named for the hated French prison is Paris and it was "stormed" that day and "liberated". But did you know that there was only one prisoner in the whole place? I guess you could say that it was the flash of a match that lit the fire of revolution. The whole French Revolution was quite unlike our own- very violent and wide swings of power. Many of the movers and shakers ended up dying at the hands of  the Revolution they created. And it was decades of back and forth between Republic and restored Monarchy before France settled on the organized parliamentary system and multi-party arrangement they have now.
But the symbolism of Bastille Day drove them on.

So too is the Emancipation Proclamation in US History. We mark  it as the first real shot in tackling slavery and yet when it was issued in 1962 it didn't free a single slave. It proclaimed liberty to all slaves residing in the rebelling Confederate states, over which the Union did not exercise control, and said nothing about slaves living in the Union or non-rebelling states. It wasn't until the 13th Amendment to the Constitution was ratified in December of 1865 that any slaves north of the Mason-Dixon line were freed. And the importance of Juneteenth, June 19th 1865, was that on that date all the slaves in the South had finally heard the news of the Proclamation and knew that they were legally free, because the South had been occupied by Union troops and could enforce the decree of liberty.

But the power of symbolism was important for both events. It drove people's actions - as the Union Army drove further into the South, slaves knew that they could be free if they only could get across the battle lines to Union-controlled territory. And the fall of the Bastille drove the French to firmly put an end to the grip of the monarchy.

Don't overlook the power of symbols. Use them to drive action. History is replete with examples of their power.

Don't swear at the squirrels

Don’t swear at the squirrel, don’t damn the deer, for though they may be slow they have as much right to be here as you.

When you least expect, when you think you have the road to yourself, nature rises up to surprise you. I had a corner near where I used to live which seemed to sprout squirrels – or at least one who every so often decided to dare me to miss him. He seemed to wait for me and rush out at the last moment. I always managed to take evasive action to miss him, but it spooked me none the less

Once when coming down a mountain ridge in California I saw a deer standing by the road, and willed it to stand still, since I didn’t want to hit it, but had a steep rise on one side of the road and a sharp dropoff on the  other side. I later saw a deer dash out to cross the road up over on the Olympic Peninsula and get hit because a car couldn’t stop in time.

We have these open roads fit for cars and trucks and we are content to just plug along obliviously. But nature’s creatures are all around and need to cross. Let’s be mindful of how we drive. There are also plenty of bikes, tractors, or just slow cars that share the road, and we need to be mindful and considerate of their right to be there.

It’s like that in life, not just in driving. We may have it easy uncomplicated, never wanting for the basic necessities of life, never hassled for the way we look, where we were born, how we   worship, or who we love. We have no impediments in our history or family that cause us difficulty or even pause. But we don’t inhabit this world alone. There are many going down that road of life that struggle to get by, that can’t zoom along, and they have the same right as us to drive this road of life.



It’s like the coworker I once knew who was so upset by “slow” drivers that he described his entry to the freeway once as “driving fast and close down the entrance ramp while blaring his horn full blast to get the guy in front of him to get  out of the way”. How rude. I was glad not to be in front of him that day, but I prayed for all those who had been and would be.

So do the equivalent of social distancing in your car and your life – give space to those who need it. And if you come across a group of    geese crossing the road, stop and let them pass. You’ll get to your destination soon enough.

We will survive

Sometimes we miss lessons in history because notable dates and events are often not recognized as holidays or otherwise treated as special. There are no fireworks or special sales. Usually they are only noted by historians. Such a time was last Wednesday through Friday.  July 3rd was the 157th anniversary of the final day the Battle of Gettysburg. I remember partly because I am a history buff - my major in college was history and political science. And partly because my great-grandfather was there that fateful day.

My great-grandfather Anson Elisha Wright was born in Bristol Vermont and enlisted in the Union Army during the Civil War. He was with the 14th Vermont Regiment which was in the middle of the Union lines on Cemetery Ridge when General George Pickett lead his fateful charge. The Confederate Army was repulsed and retreated and never threatened the North again. It cost 20,000 killed and wounded on either side, the bloodiest battle of the war and though  the war didn't officially end for almost 2 years, it was the turning point where the South's destiny was sealed. 

All that to say, while these past months and years have been rough, we have been through worse times. We were literally split in two as a country, fighting state against state, brother against brother.

And yet we survived. Because people stood up for what was right.

And that is our call. Remember the tough times this country has come through. Don't forget your history. Between the Great Depression, the Spanish Flu, both World Wars, as well as the Civil War, we have had tough times to endure. Scandals galore. And continue to stand up and not only believe that we will get through this, but act on it as you can. 

Remember in 2008, not that long ago, we elected and reelected Barack Obama, an African American, to be President , an event that was unimaginable before that in my lifetime. That was us also, we can and will do better I believe.

Curiousity

Curiosity killed the cat, they say, and satisfaction brought it back.

I don’t believe that and neither should you.

Curiosity keeps us alive and aware, can prevent us from making bad decisions.

And can help us to make discoveries that give meaning to our lives and growth in our days.

If we just blindly accept what is presented to us uncritically, we risk being lead astray. Especially with the speed of the internet, the abundance of information available, and the tendency of people to accept biased information.  We must be aware and check multiple sources to validate what we consume intellectually and before we act on that information.

This was demonstrated in the lead-up to the Iraq War, when the rush to decision and deadly action was void of any sense of curiosity and careful review. Biases ruled, consequences ignored, and we look back now in sad review at what lead us in to a disastrous series of overseas actions that still reverberate today. And it was driven from the top, when an incredibly uncurious President was led astray by warmongering aides with an appeal to ‘be tough” no matter what. And many people followed along without a skeptical thought.  Remember the “mushroom cloud” warning ? And how it proved to be totally without merit?

But it can affect us in our everyday lives. Remember “chain letters”? That has been superceeded by the internet versions – FB, twitter, and other social media can feed rumor trails and viral internet can be as dangerous and medical viruses.

But curiosity and an open mind aren’t just for warding off harmful influences.

It is also vital to growth. We learn through being curious and having a thirst for discovering new things. I enjoy seeing and hearing new sights and sounds of nature. Today was one example. I often hear woodpeckers high in the trees, but rarely see them. But today I had both and I got the video to share. I would neither have seen nor heard this bird if my ears and eyes were not open.

Be sure to take some time to pay attention to the beauty all around you. You never know what you might encounter.

One world

Once we work through Maslow's hierarchy of needs (see last week's post) and meet those essential needs for ourselves, there is another set of essentials. That is realizing that there are others who have those same needs, and we have the responsibility to help them to meet their needs, no matter who they are or where they are from. For you see, as the English poet John Donne so elegantly put it "no man is an island entire of himself, we are all part of the whole...each man's death diminishes me....send forth not for who the bell tolls, it tolls for thee"

We need to realize that we are all part of a neighborhood, a city, a state, a country, and the world. We all share this planet, with its plants and animals, its environment, its people. We are part of  global community. And as we learned in kindergarten we are supposed to share it. The effects of war, climate changes, disease, and economic uncertainty ultimately know no boundaries. As we have seen with the corona virus it started in one country, but has spread around the world. The Great Depression of our parents and grandparents was global. The great volcanic eruptions, like Krakatoa in the 1800's and Mt Saint Helens in 1980 sent ash around the world.

 The conflagration of war in the 20th century were called World Wars because they were global, affected the whole planet, and reshaped the world as we know it, changing boundaries,, economies, and alliances. Even the smaller wars of later years have caused massive refugee movements, economic disaster, and social upheaval.

So how does this affect you? What can you do? First if you see someone who is in need, reach out to help however you can. Organize with others to provide help. Listen to the cries for help and at least acknowledge that we have work to do. Sometimes it is just a listening ear that people need. Don't isolate - we may need to be physically distant, but let's not wall off our hearts.

Remember, for us to grow and prosper it is essential that we acknowledge that we are one world.
the world doesn't revolve around us, and we can't wall it off from us, it includes us.

Maslow's Heirarchy

 Abraham Maslow was an American psychologist of the 20th century who focused on humanistic psychology - what distinguishes humans from animals, and what how meeting needs contributes to human motivation. He developed a hierarchy of needs - the identification of human needs and that the most basic needs must be met for people to attain high goals and needs. He identified 5 levels -physiological, safety,, love, esteem, and self-actualization.

Physiological needs are things like food, water, shelter,, health. These are basic survival needs. Unless and until those are met your mind will focus on them and not be able to seek to fulfill other needs. Just like a drowning person will often unconsciously drag a potential rescuer under is their need to push their head above water, so a person who is starving won't listen to appeals of reason no matter how persuasive.

Once those basic needs are met safety and security needs are in focus. This involves not only physically safety - shelter, job security, and a safe environment - but also emotional and mental safety. Freedom from abuse and financial security. Safety at home, and freedom from fear out in public. And personal health , free from fear of disease and accidents

The third level of needs is social belonging. This includes friendships, intimacy, and family. Everybody needs to have connections and feeling like they are part of something bigger than just themselves. And acceptance from others.

The fouth level of needs is self- esteem and self- respect. It involves both internal valuing of ourselves and the need for recognition and respect from others. Someone who does not value themselves will have a harder time valuing others. Being confident in ourselves makes it easier to have confidence to participate with others. And it is easier to be confidence in ourselves if we are getting recognition and encouragement from others.

The final level is called self-actualization. The realization of one's full potential. To go beyond the basic needs and aim to develop all your strengths and desires. To make a mark and society, and to be free to pursue excellence.

It is not always a straight line and sometimes  needs in one level may outweigh the needs in another.
But the basic idea is that often people may feel or be frustrated in seeking to develop skills or reach goals because they are not having basic needs met. People may wonder why their friends or coworkers are not listening to reason or thinking ahead about consequences of actions, without realizing that they are not ready to hear due to more basic needs unmet.

It is important for us to think about this for ourselves and others. If we feel that we are not progressing and meeting goals, examine ourselves to see if we have unmet needs. And we need to help others meet their basic needs before we try to persuade them to accept our point of view, no matter how important it seems to  us.

In out society today, with all the varying and oftentimes intense and stressful situations, think about fear. Fear is often a sure sign of unmet needs. We can't always meet needs, but at least we can understand the often unseen motivation. It is essential

                                                                

what is essential?

What is essential? That has been a big debate during this corona virus time. What businesses and activities are essential and what are not. For those in leadership having responsibility of making policy decisions on the city, state, and federal levels. For those giving feedback on those decisions.
Making decisions about how we "open back up" and recover a more normal operation of society involves public safety and safe economic activity upon which we all depend.  We cannot isolate forever - for many reasons.

And while the policy makers, health care experts,  and economic planners have their roles to play we all have the responsibility too. From giving feedback on the subject to planners, as necessary public input, to our own planning in the upcoming interaction in society. And it provides us an opportunity to examine our own situations, priorities, and plans for what is essential to us. What can we live with, what we can live without, and why? What are our priorities.

How do we go about determining what is essential and what is not? I think we need to drill down to the basics. And I want to take some time and share some thoughts and resources to help us all make those decisions. In college (or perhaps in high school) I learned about Abraham Maslow, an American pschologist, who in 1943 developed a theory proposing a hierarchy of needs. It explained 5 different levels of human needs and how until we have the most basic needs met we can't attempt to pursue the higher levels. In practical terms if we are lacking basic necessities - water, food, shelter - we are operating on a purely survival level, and the needs of anyone else are out of our caring capability.

In my next post I want to explore that and share how that works. For now please google Maslow and read about his hierarchy. Knowing the pathway of needs will help us all determine what is essential and what is not.  The first step is safety - please be safe everyone.